Oerlikon, headquartered in Pfäffikon, Switzerland, has announced that it plans to strategically realign its Additive Manufacturing business and consolidate its AM production in the US. The move, whilst acknowledging the US region as the largest growth market for AM technology, is also said to be in response to the adverse market conditions for AM in Germany that Oerlikon states limits growth opportunities.
Focusing AM production in Huntersville, North Carolina, will bring the business closer to the US growth sectors, such as semiconductor, and also enable the business to benefit from the more conducive US framework conditions and higher market acceptance for disruptive technologies. In the future, European and other international customers are planned to be served from the US.
In close coordination with existing customers, the current production at Barleben and Shanghai are planned to be relocated in 2024. The R&D site in Garching, Germany, will focus on developing new advanced materials, surface coating technologies and digitalisation.
Additive Manufacturing is a business of Oerlikon’s Surface Solutions division. The business was founded as a start-up to develop and produce novel 3D applications for sectors such as aerospace and semiconductor, added Oerlikon.
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